Passion
by Sheena Dunlop
Summary: At the height of their glory death tears the remaining 4 Titans apart. The city falls to a power greater than Slade himself and, years later, they're forced to reunite with old heroes and enemies alike. It's better than it sounds, promise.
1. o n e

**. T h i s . I s . H o w . I . D i s a p p e a r .**

* * *

**By Streetlight**

* * *

"Don't even try to catch me, you-you…_**snot brains**_!"

Gizmo's insufferable laughter had heads turning all the way down the street. Then, in a booming chorus of screams, the people of Jump City dove out of the way as a giant, globe-shaped object bounced up and down the street, shattering concrete and asphalt as if it were glass. The boy was strapped securely in the center of the clear globe, and, with each bounce, became more and more pleased with himself.

"Great! Jinx is gonna love this one!"

With a crack, the contraption smacked into a building, then continued on down the street, unharmed. Gizmo turned to see his damage, a smile plastered across his round face. A bit of the building was hanging delicately over the sidewalk, which just happened to be swamped with running people.

"Aw man, this is _**too **_good."

A few blipping noises later and the contraption rolled to a stop, the boy hopping out and watching the people run in terror. He took out a small weapon, which somewhat resembled a gun in the sense that it had a muzzle, a barrel, and a handle. Yet it had five buttons instead of a trigger and its exterior was a striking shade of blue. He aimed recklessly, and then shot; the bit of building dipped lower, yet still clung stubbornly to its larger counterpart.

"I wonder where those snotty teen titans disappeared to."

He aimed again, this time a bit more carefully, before shooting. Another crack graced his ears and he watched as it began to fall; each inch it fell making his heart pump faster with anticipation. The sudden screams filled his ears, and a deep laugh tickled his throat. Then, unexpectedly, another crack snapped above the screams. A green light blinded him and he felt his body stumble backwards, his back smacking against his contraption. He yelled out, small bits of the falling building smacking into his body. Blood slipped over his face and he risked opening his eyes to see five silhouettes.

"It's too early for this…" Beastboy groaned, stepping into the sunlight with heavy, emerald eyes.

"Sorry to disappoint you…!" Cyborg called out, ignoring the yawning changeling.

"But the Teen Titans _don't _just disappear." Robin finished; his voice was sure as usual and his fists clenched, "Titans…_**go**_!"

Immediately Starfire dove forwards, flying in over Robin's head, straight towards Gizmo. Her hands and eyes were alight with green star bolts and her jaw was locked with secure determination. The charging noise of Cyborg's gun, followed by a reassuring click, sounded at Robin's left and, in his peripheral vision, he watched as Beastboy transformed into a green eagle. Raven was lifting the shards of concrete and asphalt, her darkness spreading across the street.

Robin looked up to jet forwards himself, when he noticed gizmo handling a weapon behind his back, the kid's eyes fixed on the pretty alien girl charging at him from the air. "Starfire, wait!" Robin yelled, running towards Gizmo. The blue gun was yanked out from hiding and another one of the buttons was shoved down by Gizmo's chubby thumb.

"Star _**move**_!" He yelled again.

Darkness enveloped the area and, without thinking, Robin dove out of the way of it. Explosions rocked the ground and Robin felt his skin crawling from the heat, sweat slipping down his body. He couldn't stop his fall…the street rammed against his face and the air was punched out of his chest. _Oh __**God**_, he thought, his body shaking in misery, _I dove away from Raven's shield! _

Heat clawed at his body, as if some sort of large cat was on top of him, digging its claws into his back and ripping his skin away, layer by layer. He was inhaling smoke; he could feel it filling his throat and polluting his lungs. His mouth was so dry, yet he felt his throat, underneath the smoke, trembling as if he had swallowed a feather as well; he had to choke, but he didn't even have the energy for that.

_I have to move. Move…c'mon…MOVE!_

* * *

**This Dark Night**

* * *

Ice.

His body was lying across a mattress of ice. Had it been just a moment ago he had been face-down in the street, explosions rocking his body? Or had it been days, and was he already lying underground; if he opened his eyes would he see the inside of his own _casket_? Yes…surely he was dead. How could anybody experience that kind of pain and still be alive?

His body was trembling from the cold, yet it was the cold that had numbed him. He felt no pain, just a strange emptiness, as if he had no organs, no blood, no heart.

His eyelids slipped back into his head and he realized his mask was still resting across his face, the fabric soft against his frostbitten skin. He half wondered if there'd be cobwebs across his face, or if he'd feel an eerie stillness beneath his chest, that emptiness in his heart. He lifted his arm; his bones felt stiff, but they were still usable. Each finger shifted as he willed it to. He reached over to his other hand and felt his wrist. Beneath his thumb his skin pulsed; an odd sense of relief washed over him, warming his quivering body.

_I'm not dead._

Slowly sitting up, he looked around, trying to decide where he was at. A tunnel, a dark and very dank tunnel surrounded him, dripping from the misting rain outside. The road he had been lying on was filthy with stains of oil, mud, and God knows what else. Muffled by the thumping rain, he could hear the thwapping of helicopter blades and a distant whisper of thunder.

"I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore." Robin joked, forcing himself onto his feet.

Footsteps, clicking across the hallow shelter like the ticking of a clock, grew steadily louder. Robin turned towards one of the entrances to see a thick silhouette smoothly walking into the tunnel, rain-water dripping from its bulking body. Robin squinted through the darkness and noticed the silhouette pulling something inside with it…something large and too awkwardly formed to be a bag…

"Hello, Robin."

Robin's heart turned cold and he reached for his belt. "What?" He hissed, his eyes shooting down to his waist…no belt, "Shit."

His eyes snapped back upwards, his mind racing as he watched Slade's black figure step further into the tunnel, dragging the shadowed object with him. "This," His red eye blinked alive, "is no time for heroism."

The rain began to punch the roof of the tunnel mercilessly and lightning lit up the misty tunnel. In a split instance of light, Robin felt his body churn and his stomach flip.

_Oh god…**Starfire**_!

She was unconscious, her red hair up, tangled around Slade's fingers. Her body was filthy after being dragged for so long, and bruises spotted every inch of her pale complexion. It was obvious she had been beaten hardheartedly, abused to shift from a strong, young woman, to this state of helplessness.

Robin felt his fingers curl against the palm of his hand, his fists shaking, "Let her _**go**_."

"Trust me, Robin, you shouldn't try anything rash," Slade mumbled, still gripping Starfire's beautiful red hair underneath his fist, "at least not until we've had a talk."

"I'd rather _**die **_than trust you." Robin retorted, his arms tensing, heart stomping.

"Ah yes, you and I both know _**you'd **_die, but would you allow _**her **_to, due to your stubbornness?" Slade questioned, his voice slipping through the air, adding a slimy filth to the icy breeze. His fingers opened and Starfire was released. She fell, face-down, onto the filthy ground, her hair falling in strands over her bare shoulders, brushing over the bruises. Her arms began to tremble, her fingers gripping the ground as she tried to lift her torso up.

Rage filled Robin's body, making his temples pulse and his bones quiver. A sense of recklessness fogged his mind and his body launched forwards, a wordless yell quaking from his throat.

Slade didn't move; He stood still as a stone, which only enraged Robin more. He wanted the bastard to scream in fright, to run from him and plead for forgiveness; Robin wanted the chance to _**deny **_forgiveness, to pummel the son of a bitch until there was _nothing _left.

Then, when Robin was mere feet away from Slade and Starfire, his legs gave out beneath him. His chest smacked into the ground, punching the air out of his lungs. Robin felt blood slip from his nose, crawling down over his lips and down his chin and neck. He lifted his head up to see Starfire lying just in front of him. And, for the first time, he noticed the difference in her face. She was older, by at least a few years, her hair shorter.

_How long has it been?!_

"Damn it, Robin…" Slade sighed, "You just never listen."

His feet were numb, and the sensation was spreading up his legs, paralyzing him. He had to stop Slade before it reached his spine, _had _to; Starfire could still get out.

"Consider this a warning…" Slade murmured from above him.

Starfire looked up, her blank eyes staring into Robin's. Red hair slipped over her beaten down face, tears stained her cheeks. Robin reached his arm forwards, his fingers wrapping around the side of her face. "Star, listen-"

"I warned you not to act rashly, but I have to teach you, Robin. After all, you are still a child…in need of a teacher." Slade continued. He was holding something, standing over Starfire, his heavy shadow falling over Robin.

Robin looked up at Slade, dreading what he would find clutched in his hand.

_A gun? He's going to kill me, _Terror stabbed through his heart; he was going to die, die and leave Starfire here, _and I can't even move!_

The click of the gun sent chills through Robin's body. Any second now the shot would end it all. Yet, no amount of pain could make him want to die. He couldn't leave Starfire here, alone and helpless, with Slade.

"Slade, don't…pl-"

The gun fired.

Robin instinctively buried his face in the ground. He felt wetness crawl through his hair, down his face and tickling his ears. No pain, but no escape either. He was still on the ground, still holding Starfire's face in his hand. He looked up…

"N-No…"

Slade dropped the gun and stepped back, away from the two of them, "I'm warning you now, Robin."

"_No_."

Starfire's eyes lost their glow; her red hair became redder. Robin felt his fingers slip away from her shattered face…the numbness spreading up through his legs onto his back.

"**NO**!"

* * *

**A Séance Down Below**

* * *

Starfire's heart jumped into her throat as her eyes snapped open. She sat upright in her bed and turned towards her door, fiery red hair cascading over her shoulder and in front of her tired face. She slipped off her bed and rushed out her door, into the hallway of the Titan's Tower to hear the yelling growing louder and more painful.

"Robin?"

She jumped up, flying down through the tower. Seconds later her bare feet smacked into the carpeted floor in front of the infirmary. The door slid open and she stepped inside to see Robin lying on his back, his mouth wide open in mid-scream, and his body thrashing about. Beads of sweat formed at his burnt forehead and slipped down over his face, onto the base of his naked neck.

Star grabbed his shoulders and squeezed them gently, "Robin! No more screaming! Wake up, _**please**_!"

He stopped thrashing, and his yell faded to a dull groaning noise. Starfire could hear the rest of the Titans rushing towards the infirmary as well. She kneeled down next to the bed, still gripping one of Robin's shoulders.

"Robin…?"

* * *

**There're Things That I Have Done**

* * *

Slade reached down, grabbed Robin's hair, and yanked his head back to stare straight into that red, glowing eye. "It's horrible that a boy, who gets enough violence during reality, must experience even more as he sleeps. Yet, nightmares have always been rather nasty for you, haven't they, Robin?"

Robin's heart was tearing, ripping itself to pieces excruciatingly slow. _God…just kill me, you-you…_ "Bastard."

"This is just a nightmare, stupid boy, quit crying like a child." Slade hissed, disgusted, "If you want it to remain _only_ a nightmare then you will do this one thing." He yanked Robin up, slamming him against the wall of the tunnel, "You will disappear…_permanently_. Never show your face in Jump or Gotham City again. If you _**do**_…this nasty nightmare will become a reality. If you listen like a good little shit," Slade chuckled darkly, letting Robin's body crumble to the filthy ground, "I _**might **_just leave the girl alone. But I wouldn't count on it."

* * *

**You Never Should Ever Know**


	2. t w o

**. S l e e p .**

* * *

**Sleep, Just Sleep**

* * *

Silence, sweet silence drummed in Robin's ears. There was a comforting pressure lying tenderly over his bare chest and an irritable tingling on his lower back and legs. His breathing was rhythmic and calm and he had to wrap his brain around everything in order to remember why he was so afraid to open his eyes.

"_It's horrible that a boy, who gets enough violence during reality, must experience even more as he sleeps. Yet, nightmares have always been rather nasty for you, haven't they, Robin_?"

He squeezed his fingers together, feeling a cool cloth pull up from the surface he was lying on into his fist. He held his breath, capturing another yell inside his throat, and refused to open his eyes. A scream, tears, and this raging hatred was roaring inside of him, thrashing about, trying to escape his blockades.

"_This is a nightmare, stupid boy, quit crying like a child_."

Involuntarily, his eyes flew open, allowing him to see an even deeper darkness than the one he had been resting in moments before. He couldn't see the tip of his nose, or even the texture of his mask, but he could feel somebody else there; they were standing just feet away from where he lay. And they were staring at him. He could feel their eyes.

Light footsteps brushed against a hard floor. His neck was stiff, and seemed too difficult to shift, but he managed to turn his head to the side to see a slim silhouette stepping towards him. The room around him began to appear as if a fog was lifting. He swallowed whatever spit was still in his dry mouth and prepared himself for more pain….

Wait…he _knew _this room.

His eyes moved away from the silhouette to see the familiar infirmary. Curtains were drawn across the large windows. Computer monitors surrounded him and a thick blanket lay atop his chest, almost holding him down. He was back in the tower, lying in a bed…safe for now.

He looked back towards the silhouette to see the recognizable short, purple hair and the pale skin of Raven. "I'm surprised you're awake already, Robin."

Robin moved his arms back, trying to force himself up onto his elbows. His shoulder blades were just beginning to lift off the mattress when a wave of pain clawed up his spine and rubbed against his skin. It was burning again; the tingling had spun from annoying to excruciating. His vision blurred, his mind spinning and his stomach twisting. He dropped back, flat on his back, staring blankly up at the ceiling, yet remaining calm despite the pain still rocking his body.

Raven was at his side the next instant, touching his arm with frosty fingers, "Don't _**move**_!" She groaned, irritably, "Your burns are still too fresh. I can only do so much for you in two days."

Robin hardly heard her. "Where's Starfire? Raven, she's here, _right_?"

Looking not at all surprised at his question, she let go of his arm to point to a dark corner of the room. He turned his head as far as he could without moving his torso and saw the alien girl, hair and face back to normal, curled up like a cat in a small chair, unharmed and sleeping peacefully.

Robin looked back up at the dark ceiling, his eyelids heavy and his body already shutting back down.

"…_I __**might **__just leave the girl alone_."

Once again he felt Raven's eyes, and turned to her. A look of puzzlement had crossed her face, and she looked as if she was battling herself on what she was going to say.

"What is it?" Robin asked, looking away slowly; it was easier just to stare straight up. The skin on his neck was crawling; he needed to scratch the itch, to rub away this clawing irritation. Frustration mounted as he realized his arms wouldn't move anymore.

"Why were you screaming?" She asked, frowning with more pronouncement than usual, "I would have thought the pain was the reason. I began to numb your body, but you still…."

"Still what?"

"You were…crying."

Robin sighed, feeling as if his head was sinking deeper into the pillow. He closed his heavy eyelids, releasing his mind to exhaustion, and not gracing the awaiting girl with an answer.

* * *

**The Hardest Part's**

* * *

A week and a half later, a scrawny green boy stood, bent over, his head further inside the refrigerator than the two-liters. He was grumbling to himself, tossing containers over his shoulder, and pushing the fuzzy blue stuff to the side when he heard uneven footsteps behind him. He bumped his head as he quickly retreated from the fridge.

"Oh, s'up, Robin? I'm just getting a midnight snack."

Robin stood by the counter, his elbows resting on the surface and his eyes fixed off in the distance. What was left of his hair was ruffled and he looked skinnier, not to mention paler, than usual. He started to run his fingers back through his ebony hair, then realized there wasn't much left there since gizmo's explosion.

Beast boy stared at his leader for a few moments before smiling widely and saying, rather sarcastically, "Well you look all better! Bet you're ready to run a mile or ten, huh?"

Robin's eyes narrowed, but he ignored the sarcasm otherwise and, instead, asked nonchalantly, "So…what's going on with the city?"

Beastboy turned his back on the leader and continued his treasure-hunt in the fridge. "Actually," He answered, "it's been kind of quiet. In fact, it's been dead pretty much." Beast boy twitched slightly at the aspect, "Nothing's happened whatsoever since Gizmo's explosion. Funny enough, the silence has bothered Raven and Cyborg more than usual." He surfaced again, holding two white boxes. He slid one across the surface of the counter to Robin before opening his own.

Robin stared at the box of tofu for a few moments, but was too hungry to complain. As he opened his own box, he questioned Beastboy again, forcing himself to remain casual, "So…nobody's been disturbing the city. Not even somebody pathetic like Control Freak?"

Beastboy munched on his mouthful a few moments before answering, without swallowing first of course, "Erm…nope…nobody."

Robin finished the rest of his food in silence.

* * *

**Letting Go Of Your Dreams**

* * *

Another week had passed, and Raven sat in the unusually hushed living room, her legs crossed and a thick book resting open on her lap. Her eyes scanned the pages, her mind lost in the pages of spells, hexes, and other powers of her darkness. The rustle of a turning page was drowned out by the smooth slide of an opening door. Without looking up from the black and white paper, she whispered, "Good morning, Starfire."

The alien girl sat next to Raven on the couch, pulling her legs up against her chest and resting her chin on her knees. A large yawn broke through Starfire's lips, yanking Raven's attention away from her spell book. Her purple eyes rested on the face of the oblivious alien for some time before Raven finally commented, returning her gaze to her book, "It's a beautiful day outside; maybe you should take the guys out and do something. Sitting around for so long isn't doing you any good."

Starfire didn't show any signs of hearing Raven's words; instead, she murmured in an apathetic voice, bothering Raven, "It is…strange how crimeless the city has been since Gizmo…eerie, almost. Do you agree?"

Raven looked up from her book once more to stare out the large window, into the near midday sunlight. The ocean sat flat as new paper, clashing in the end with the sky…seeming never ending. The only exception to the ghostly inertness of the ocean was the sailboats, breaking through the surface of the water, many sailing towards the empty horizon.

"Robin will be completely recovered in a few days, Starfire. He'd want you out right now, being yourself, having fun."

Starfire finally gave a sign of hearing Raven. She turned to the purple haired girl and smirked gently, "It is just…he has never been hurt for this long. The worst before was when he broke his arm, you remember?" She gave a tiny laugh, and Raven felt relieved that Starfire was escaping that creepy, apathetic state that just didn't fit her. "The funny Larry came then."

"Yeah funny a'right, until he made the city look like a picture on my grandma's fridge."

Starfire and Raven turned to see Cyborg walk into the living room, Beastboy right behind him. Chuckling like a kid, Beastboy jumped over the back of the couch, landing on Raven's other side. Raven snapped her book shut, suddenly looking rather disgruntled.

"C'mon Star, we're goin' for ice-cream." Beastboy said, leaning over Raven to look directly at Starfire. His smile was large and over-exaggerated. Raven rolled her eyes.

Starfire, though, didn't notice the over-exaggeration. She agreed to go with Cyborg and Beastboy. Yet, as the two boys walked out of the tower, she hung back.

Rubbing her arm, making it so obvious she was still worried about something, Starfire stood before the couch, staring off into nothing. Raven waited patiently, listening to Cyborg's car rev to a start somewhere beyond the living room. Soon following the car's growls, Beastboy began to yell for Starfire.

"Did you ever find out why he was yelling that night?" Starfire questioned.

Raven paused, remembering her short conversation with Robin. She shrugged and answered with finality, "His burns were new, Starfire. He was in pain."

"But I have never seen Robin do the crying." Starfire insisted, her voice rising, "Surely it was-"

"Robin," Raven interrupted, her voice sharp, "was burnt on nearly every inch of his body. If I wasn't here to heal him, he would have died." Raven paused, watching Starfire's face stricken at the idea. "You have to understand," Raven continued, softly, "he was under a constant wave of pain. Anybody would have cried."

With that, Starfire left the living room, and Raven heard the three fire off in the T-car. Silence fell across the tower once more, but Raven didn't reopen her book.

* * *

**Sleep, Just Sleep**

* * *

The door to the infirmary slid open, the gentle noise shrieking into the silent tower. Light from the corridor outside splashed into the dark room, sending a slender, monstrously tall shadow over the occupied bed. Bare legs crossed the threshold of the shadowy room, a long cape brushing against the tiled floor. Her silhouette seemed daunting as the greatest villain, but her face was unsure, almost afraid. Raven advanced to Robin's bed, her trembling eyes fixed on his face.

The boy didn't sleep silently; his face was contorted, twisted in pain, and Raven could see from the shape of the covers that he had two clenched fists. His mouth was agape in a silenced scream and sweat beaded on his forehead and slipped down his face.

Raven took up a bit of her cape and gently wiped off his forehead, before placing her cold fingers on his face. Nothing less than a punch would wake him up now. Feeling rather foolish, but too curious to resist, she closed her eyes and felt herself delve into Robin's mind.

It was just a flash, just an instant not so long to be a second, when she saw the large green eyes…felt the wetness in her hair, sliding down her neck, and felt the shadow drape over her. Then, just before she couldn't handle it anymore, felt that scream she had heard weeks before crawl up out of her throat, "_N-No_…"

She yanked away from the slumbering boy's forehead, staggering back through the shadowy infirmary and smacking into the far wall. Her body trembled and her breaths came in brief, sharp gasps. Her face became ghastly pale, much more pastel than usual. She ran her fingers back through her hair, her mind still grasping the feel of wetness…the blood. But it wasn't Robin who had been brutally wounded…it was the green eyes that had lost their sheen.

Raven looked back to the bed to see Robin lying still now; but it wasn't in a relaxed fashion. It looked as if he'd given up on struggling against the pain…he would just lay there and take its ferocious waves. Was that sweat on his cheeks? She didn't know, and she didn't want to find out if the mighty leader of the Teen Titans had been cut at the knees and reduced to more tears by nothing more than a bad dream.

"_…just a nightmare_."

Raven stepped out into the corridor, still feeling rather shaky. The door to the infirmary slid shut behind her, but the feeling of being in the same room with another individual didn't leave her mind. She found herself, as she stepped down the hallways, back towards the living room, looking over her shoulder many times. It was as if the same daunting nightmare that was looming in Robin's mind had now transferred a bit of itself into her own.

* * *

**The Hardest Parts The Things That I've Seen**


	3. t h r e e

**. Famous Last Words .**

* * *

**Can You See? My Eyes Are Shining Bright**

* * *

"What a joyous day!" Starfire's smile was so large and comical that even Raven couldn't fight her own grin. It was a month after the incident with Gizmo and all five of the Teen Titans were in the living room, Robin looking healed, though still much skinnier and pale with exhaustion lined across his face. He was leaning against the wall, watching Starfire leap about, jabbering on in half English and half Tameran. Though his eyes, as always, where hidden, he had a noticeable look of being distracted.

Most days that Starfire christened "joyous" were the days where Robin would be able to do nothing more than watch her bounce around the tower, his thoughts solely on the very fact that his thoughts were all of her. Though, throughout all the times they had spent together, Robin could never imagine going as far as saying he _**loved**_ her, but, man, she drove him mad. She was beautiful and kind, bubbly and cute in her naivety, but a bit alarming in her strength. She was captivated by things he would never be able to see worth in, and, despite all his stupid mistakes, she had always forgiven him. She had given him more chances than he could ever deserve.

"NO!"

Robin's mind was wrenched out of his thoughts by the sound of three Titan's screams. Raven was staring with wider eyes than usual at the Tameran, who had Beastboy's green hand slapped over her mouth. Cyborg was laughing by the couch as Beastboy stepped away from Starfire, who looked slightly put-out that they didn't want to hear her Tameranian Song of Healing. All the same she was still Starfire; her smile was still there, lighting up the room as she laughed along with everybody else.

He was going to miss that.

"Hey, where ya goin'?" Beastboy yelled over the sound of the game system starting up and Starfire's insistent singing. His angular green eyes were focused suspiciously on Robin, who now stood at the doorway between room and corridor.

Robin looked around, smiling reassuringly, "Just going to check some things out."

Beastboy's smile wavered slightly, "Alright, but if you're not in here you don't get your turn!"

Robin waved him off and stepped into the dimmer light of the corridors.

* * *

**Cause I'm Out Here On The Other Side of A Jet Black Hotel Mirror**

* * *

Soft, yellow light blanketed paperwork, emblems, and piles upon piles of notes. It was exhausting just to look at all the pointless information this boy had compiled of a single villain. A box, which had just moments before been placed inside this mysterious room, sat next to the desk. It contained many rubbish items, but there was a single piece of evidence inside of it that had, not so long ago, triggered a deep obsession. Slade's mask lay lifeless at the top of the box, at least until it was scooped up into the hand of the boy wonder himself.

Robin crashed into a chair and stared at the mask for what felt like a dragging eternity, just waiting for that red eye to light up. Over time his face became more and more full of rage; his jaw tightened and his hand began to shake. His eyes narrowed and finally he growled in a dark, wicked voice, "If you think you'll ever lay a finger on her I'll fucking-"

"Whoa man, I haven't been touchin' nobody!"

Robin nearly fell out of his chair. He whipped around to see Cyborg standing in the doorway, looking concerned.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Robin snapped, dropping Slade's mask into the box once more.

"I knew you wouldn't answer." Cyborg answered, walking in. "Man, this obsession _has _to end. Slade is _**dead**_, remember?" He placed a heavy hand on Robin's shoulder and turned his chair away from the box and the desk.

"Somebody triggered that mask." Robin replied venomously, standing to his feet and shoving Cyborg's hand away. "He should be dead…but he's not. I know he's not."

Cyborg's frown grew deeper and he replied slowly, "Robin…unless you've actually seen him-"

"I have."

A heavy silence followed these two words. Cyborg and Robin seemed to be staring each other down, each trying to press their point without words.

Robin looked away, scowling angrily, "I know I'm not crazy." His heart was pumping madly, and he could feel his face heating up with a sudden rage against his friend.

Cyborg sighed, "Robin…just listen to me for-"

Robin roared suddenly, sending the chair he had been sitting in moments before crashing across the room. With a resounded thud the cushioned seat separated from the wheeled legs and the wall moaned in agony as a dent became visible in the yellow light. Robin then turned his masked eyes to Cyborg and screamed before his mind had registered exactly what he planned to say, "I CAN'T SCREW UP AGAIN!"

Cyborg took a step back, staring at Robin with a wide eye. He hands were up slightly, as if he expected his leader to try and pummel him down like he had done the chair. Perhaps separate _his _legs from the rest of his body.

Robin, though, was suddenly looking very calm. He fell back slightly, leaning against the desk. That distracted look had once more fallen across his face.

"If I screw up again…there's no more chances…no more…_**this**_…this is it."

And then, as if Cyborg had never entered the room in the first place, Robin turned his back on the door and the metal man, and returned to staring down the papers beneath the dim light of his lamp.

* * *

**And I'm So Weak**

* * *

"HEY _**ROBIN**_, PIZZA'S HERE!"

Beastboy's voice echoed down the hall and was audible through Robin's closed bedroom door. Robin stared at his shut and locked door for a few moments, coming to the conclusion that he wasn't as hungry as his stomach was making him think. He dug through his things, throwing random junk into a bag lying in the center of his bed. It was just when he was searching for a pen when a gentle, hesitant knocking tapped from behind him. He turned and, putting the bag on the floor next to his bed, unlocked the door.

Starfire stood there, arms crossed, looking bothered.

Robin felt his stomach churn, but not in the sort of boy-with-a-crush way. He was seeing monstrous images of that nightmare that, though it didn't have the same essence of reality it had had the first night it struck, had been haunting him for the past month. He didn't see her beautiful face or her long, gorgeous hair; he saw her silhouette, looking helpless and beaten down, more purple than pale…face soaked in hopeless tears.

"Do you plan to participate in the dinner before you leave, Robin?" She asked him, rather quietly. Her eyes didn't look full, perhaps because her smile had disappeared sometime during the day.

The question launched Robin's heart into his throat; how did she know? He hadn't told anybody, hadn't even hinted at it. He didn't plan on any emotional goodbyes or efforts to keep him here. Despite his sudden panic attack on the heart, he smirked, "Who says I'm leaving?"

Starfire didn't smile in comfort like he'd hoped she would; she didn't claim she was mistaken and cheerfully invite him to dinner for the second time. Instead, she continued to stand there, suddenly looking not at all naïve.

"If the bag on your floor could speak, _**it **_would."

Robin turned around to see his bag, full of smaller weapons and some clothes, still lying motionless on his floor, betraying him ruthlessly. "Uh…."

"Cyborg says that you are troubled, but he would not say what about." Starfire further accused.

Robin sighed and, glancing at the closed door, murmured, "Star…you can't know how sorry I am."

"Robin, where are you going?"

"I…dunno."

Starfire gave him a puzzled look, and all he could do was hope she wouldn't ask anymore questions and just accept that he was leaving and never-

Robin suddenly felt his heart jump again when he felt her fingers brush over his, grabbing his hand and forcing something awkwardly-shaped against his palm. Then, her slender fingers closed his around the object before releasing his hand. He looked down at his closed fist to see the edge of an earthy-colored, beaded bracelet.

"There was much boredom during this last month," Starfire explained, rubbing her arm anxiously, "and Raven suggested I make something to pass time. If you will not allow me to accompany you, I wish for you to take this." She smiled softly, "You _must _promise to bring it back to me."

Robin's heart was cracking his bones as it convulsed erratically. "Star," He mumbled, his eyes focused on his floor as he held the bracelet back out to her, "I don't think…I'm _**not **_coming back."

* * *

**Is It Hard Understanding I'm Incomplete**

* * *

Robin's eyes opened for the fifth time that night, but this time he wouldn't try to get another hour's worth of sleep. He sat up, his bed moaning quietly underneath him. His legs swung over the edge and he slipped his feet into his shoes. He reached down toward the dark floor, feeling about for a familiar bit of cloth. His cape wound itself around his fingers and was soon snapped on around his neck.

The curtains flipped open and moonlight cascaded into his room. Robin looked out the window, but noticed his faint reflection more than anything else. Eyes…his eyes were there, staring back at him, maskless. It was then he realized that his disguise did not consist of an augment of clothing on his face. He grabbed his mask, put it over his face, and in that moment became another boy, became Robin again.

_So, this is it…._

The corridors seemed to stretch themselves as he stepped down them, making not a sound as he headed towards a room he had walked passed many times over. After what his mind played over to be a century of walking, he froze before a door with a name that haunted him…the only name that fell into his mind more than Slade's.

The door to Starfire's room slid open and Robin stepped inside, holding his breath. She was the first thing he saw, lying there at the edge of her bed, her head lolling over the side, her hair brushing against the floor. Forehead bare and eyes shut lightly, she slept restfully…silently. Was it an illusion? Did she really sleep in such tranquility or were her dreams just as violent and frightening as his?

His eyes turned to the floor next to her head and there was the bracelet he had forced her to take back after promising her he wouldn't leave. Guilt stung him horribly as he scooped up the bracelet and slipped it into his pocket. Then, in the same motion, he pulled out a short note and his communicator. He laid them both in place of the bracelet, his mind absolutely blank.

He refused…absolutely refused to look back at her. He couldn't handle it, couldn't risk having a yearning to stay over-rule the very fact that was poisoning his mind: He had to leave. He had to disappear. Slade had won; he had found what would cut Robin down in an instant. He had found it, the one thing that would make Robin scream for death. He could not screw up again, because this time, if he messed up, if he messed up Slade would kill _her_.

Robin clenched his teeth harshly as the door to Starfire's room opened to let him out. Despite every thought in his mind, he turned around to look at her. The smooth slide of her door signaled a twitch at the corner of her lips and her eyelids pressed together a bit more tightly.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"So am I."

Robin's heart leaped as he whipped around. A giant silhouette blocked the doorway. Triggered by the all-too familiar voice, Robin jumped backwards, fists curling and eyes blazing behind his thin mask. He clenched his teeth and growled, in that same, daunting voice, "You're _**not **_gonna stop me."

Green light reflected on the silhouette's massive chest, lighting up the alien girl's room. Robin slowly turned his head to see Starfire standing at the foot of her bed, eyes fiery, a pronounced frown tugging at her radiant features.

"Starfire…"

The light suddenly became sharp, and Robin felt lightning glide through his bones, rattling his brain and disabling his muscles. His knees hit the floor, the corners of his eyes going black. His face was headed straight for the ground when metal hands took hold of his shoulders, and Cyborg picked him up, off the floor.

"Sorry Rob, but you're not goin' anywhere tonight."

* * *

**A Love That's So Demanding I Get Weak**


	4. f o u r

**T h e . G h o s t . O f . Y o u **

* * *

**I never said I'd Lie**

* * *

September's wind was playful.

Flicking around his casual clothing and toying with his ebony hair, it pulled him down the deserted street like an eager child. No streetlights eased his unsteady mind and small noises from behind and off into the lurking shadows made his skin crawl. His grey eyes stayed firm, solidly gazing towards his destination. A dark tunnel lay a few dozen feet ahead of him, looming underneath the autumn sky.

At his back, about a mile away, city lights blinked on.

He slid his backpack off his shoulder and began to fumble with his jacket's zipper. Above him clouds shifted lazily, veiling the moon and drenching him in darkness. The wind picked up, whipping around him and chilling his bones. He zipped up his jacket and bent over to scoop up his bag. Hand outreached, bent over double, the boy froze in this awkward position, his eyes fixed on the tunnel once more.

A large silhouette stood at the mouth of the tunnel, waiting for him.

"Nice to finally meet you, Red X."

Red X stood up, swinging the bag over his shoulder. His mouth tilted into a crooked smile, "Skip the introductions. Why not just kill me?" He tilted his head to the side, allowing his smirk to grow.

"You know the answer to that." Slade replied snidely.

"I don't have the slightest _clue _what your intentions are. What I do know," Red X added slowly, "is that you've bloodied your hands a bit this past month. That kid is dead…Gizmo, right? Him and the rest of the Hive Five. I know that Killer Moth was found not too long ago in his living room, stabbed a few times. Nobody can find his daughter, which means she's probably dead in an alley somewhere, like Control Freak. The jails have been cleared out of pretty much all prisoners by some sort of…" He hesitated, his smile extending to reveal his white teeth, "…_**disease**_."

"You've done your homework." Slade replied nonchalantly, still standing immobile at the entrance of the tunnel, "Is that why you're running away from the city? You knew that all the enemies of the Teen Titans were dying off…surely you'd be next?"

"Not so much a reason, more like an excuse." Red X answered, shifting his eyes up to the sky. "I've been wanting out of this hell-hole for a while. This just gives me an excuse to leave. _Now_," He continued, hitching his bag up more securely on his shoulder, "I've got a train to catch; if you plan to try and kill me, get on with it so I can get to the station."

* * *

**And Wait Forever**

* * *

"So you think he's finally gone off the deep end?"

"Shut up, Beastboy."

"Maybe Slade's a zombie and Robin's tellin' the truth?"

"I said, shut up."

"Or maybe-"

"Raven," Cyborg interrupted, swiveling around in his computer chair, "Come look at this."

Raven stood up, glancing briefly at Robin's unconscious form…once again in one of the infirmary beds. This time he lay completely still, lips slightly parted and chest rising rhythmically. "Don't touch him." She snapped at Beastboy, before stepping into the gentle light of the computer monitors.

"Ya see what I see?"

"No," Raven admitted, leaning in over Cyborg's shoulder to take a closer look at the information, "enlighten me."

"The way his brain's working while he's unconscious, it's not the same, but it's similar to how it functioned when-"

"_**Oh**_…"

"Yeah," Cyborg continued, watching as Raven's eyes lit up, "it's just like when he could see Slade, and nobody else could. In fact…it sorta makes sense. Earlier today, he told me he'd seen Slade."

"But it's _**not **_the same." Raven pressed, "Before, when he could see Slade, his body was literally being attacked; he could have _**died**_. Now, he's okay, just shaken up by a dream."

"Sure, he's fine…for now."

Chills ran down Raven's back. Ignoring the images piling up in her mind she glanced over at the unconscious Robin, "He must think the dream he had was real, or had the potential of becoming real, or…_something_."

"I dunno," Cyborg answered slowly, looking up at the larger monitors lining the walls, "Physically everything looks just fine, but...somethin' just isn't right. He should be awake by now, but his brain's stuck in that odd state of unconsciousness."

"Maybe Star just over-did it…" Beastboy mumbled, now toying with Starfire's bracelet, "She _**was **_kinda pissed that he lied to her."

"Maybe…"

"_**Cyborg**_!"

Cyborg hopped to his feet, his chair rolling back to collide with the opposite wall. The bracelet in Beastboy's hands clattered to the floor, the beads separating and rolling haphazardly across the tiles. Raven swept across the room, at the side of Robin's bed an instant later.

"B, get Starfire…_now_!"

"What's goin' on?"

"**Now**!"

Beast Boy hopped off the bed, but his feet never made contact with the floor. In a twist of green color a tiny bird appeared, darting out of the room and disappearing into the shadowy corridor.

"Cyborg, what's-?"

"He's gone into a coma…."

* * *

**If I Died, We'd Be Together**

* * *

Red X blinked, swaying slightly in the chilly wind. "You want me to do _**what**_?"

"Feed me information."

"Yeah I got that much." Red X hissed, "I mean…what? In three _years_? What the hell is happening in three years?"

"I'll have obtained the help I need to steal the ultimate piece of information. I will be able to dispose of every 'hero' on this planet."

Red X's jaw tightened, "That's impossible."

"In three years time, I will have taken over this city, but there will still be little heroes running around. No doubt they will form some type of rebellion in order to destroy my reign before I get my hands on this information. I cannot afford to underestimate them and let that happen."

"And you want me to, what, be a spy for you…go underground with the rest? Pretend like I've seen the error of my old, thieving ways and want to help _save _the city?"

There was a bit of a pause, before Slade replied, matter-of-factly, "Yes, generally that's correct. You will not be going as Red X, though. Certain heroes aren't naïve enough to believe in second chances."

Red X broke into laughter, his voice barking across the ghostly street.

"You're serious?" He choked as he continued to laugh under his breath, "Sorry, but, in case you haven't heard, I work alone. I'm nobody's puppet."

"…very well."

The clouds shifted once more, carried away by the sharp breeze. Moonlight skipped across the black pavement, and Red X watched his shadow spill across the road.

"I believe some sort of contract is in order."

Red X's eyes shifted in confusion as his shadow twitched, yet he hadn't moved a muscle. Perhaps the wind had pushed him without his noticing. "I just told you, get somebody else to do your dirty work. I'm through with this city." Red X growled, not able to rip his eyes away from his shadow.

_No way did it really_….

"Step into the light, Nicholas."

_What did he call me?_

The hand of the shadow, black as ink, ripped out from its two dimensional state and became elongated, claw-like, and monstrous. Red X tried to stagger backwards, but the shadow's hand grasped his leg, digging its fingers, like knives, into his calves. Red X pressed his teeth together in pain, fighting the warm rising of tears. The shadow, using his leg as a gripping post, yanked itself out from the ground. "_**What is this**_?!"

"Do as I say…" Slade began slowly, watching in amusement as Red X's shadow fully stood, tearing its fingers from the boy's bloody leg, "and once the job is done, I'll return your shadow."

Red X, despite the excruciation in his leg, choked a laugh. "You're stealing my _shadow_?"

"You fail to see the seriousness of your situation." Slade grumbled and turned to Red X's shadow, which now stood at his side, immobile. Slade's metallic fingers curled into a fist and, in the next instance, met the center of the shadow's faceless head.

The shadow did not move, but Red X crashed to his back on the concrete, his fingers pressed against his face. A mass of thick blood weaved through his fingers and down his neck, staining his clothes and trickling down his chest and back.

"You are under my control now, just like my soldiers. You have no mind, no opinion, and no choices. Whether you want to or not, in three years time, you will go underground and be my eyes."

"Robin," Red X moaned, his voice lower than usual and nearly inaudible as he continued to clutch his broken face in his hands, "he won't let it happen; he's stopped you before. Why not use him? He'll be out of your way then…."

"You are heartless…you care only for yourself and your own honor. It is because of that selfishness that you can be held under my control without risk of nobility. Besides…" Slade's head turned towards a black silhouette in the far distance, a giant T towering over the vast ocean, "Robin will be dead before I have this city."

And then, without another word, Slade turned and disappeared into the hanging darkness of the tunnel, his footsteps fading with his form, leaving Red X to lie on his back in the center of a deserted street, holding his broken nose and watching the moonlight fall over his body. His blood on the concrete glistened, but not a single hint of a shadow graced his presence. A novel of thoughts ran through the boy's mind, but the only thing he could manage to say through his throbbing nose and eye was…

"Fuck."

* * *

**I Can't Always Just Forget Her**

* * *

Starfire stood at the window, watching the ocean churn as the wind picked up. In the distance thunder growled and lightning lit up the faraway horizon. She was in the infirmary, fidgeting with a small piece of paper as Raven and Cyborg searched tirelessly for the source of this coma. The lightning began to strike more often and soon Starfire unfolded the paper, reading through Robin's short note for the umpteenth time.

_Robin…_

Starfire's eyes flickered up to the rolling clouds, smothering the moonlight and the stars. Lightning glistened in the clouds, the deep moans of thunder vibrating across the ocean. Waves grew larger, crashing against the rocks below. The infirmary was hot and stuffy, and Starfire felt as if the walls were closing in on her. Her fingers trembled as she unlatched the lock, cracking the window open only slightly. She closed her eyes, inhaling the stormy air with relief.

"I don't _know_!" Cyborg suddenly shouted, making Starfire jump. She whipped around, crumbling the note in her fist.

Raven looked agitated, glancing up from monitor to monitor, while Beast Boy tried many hopeless attempts to wake up Robin. Currently the green boy was poking the area around Robin's ears, making various odd noises while doing so.

"His heart rate is slowing down drastically." Raven whispered, glancing over at Cyborg.

Beast Boy instantly stopped his poking, glancing at Raven apologetically.

"I did this?" Starfire questioned softly, averting her eyes to her hands.

"There's no way your starbolt did this." Raven answered shortly, with finality.

"Rae…it's just gettin' slower…"

A twisted bolt of light fired down from the heavens, striking the ocean just outside the tower. A beast within the clouds roared and, with a flicker, the tower was tossed into darkness.

"_Fuck_!"

Cyborg's heavy footsteps preceded a dog-like yelp from Beastboy.

"Sorry, B."

"Dude-"

"_**SHUT UP**_!" Raven cried. Her voice trembled, wavering as she spoke over the thunder's grumbles, "Starfire…some light…_please_."

Emerald light flooded over Robin's body.

Raven's astounded face glowed green in the blaze of the hovering starbolt. She yanked her fingers away from Robin's wrist, her eyes wide and jaw agape.

_No_….

Cyborg reached over, grabbing Raven's arm, "Rae…?"

"H-He's…" Raven choked, pulling her fingers up over her lips, "He's gone."

The infirmary faded into darkness once more, silent as the sky groaned above them, like a great monster…like a hungry beast.

* * *

**But She Could Try**


End file.
